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News
KBJR News 1
February 19, 2010
Minnesota lawmakers have crafted a bill that would require new mining companies to pay up front for any potential environmental cleanup after the plant closes.
The bill has been crafted as PolyMet works to get state approval to open a copper-nickel mine in Hoyt Lakes and several other mining companies assess copper-nickel deposits in the Northland.
LeAnn Wallace has that story for us tonight from the capitol.
"We have all the laws in place in Minnesota. We have very stringent environmental laws. They have been going through the environmental impact statement process for the last 4 and a half years."
Senator David Tomassoni of Chisholm says Minnesota laws are already strong in protecting the environment and he says Polymet has worked hard to adhere to those standards.
"They've spend over 20 million dollars to do it and do it right and we want to make sure it's done right."
The bill would require companies to provide up-front financial assurances for any site cleanup that might occur after the plant closes.
Paul Aasen of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy says the bill is designed to strengthen Minnesota's existing regulations by creating a damage deposit.
Some lawmakers say that this bill is being introduced to stop the project altogether.
"This particular bill comes in at the last hour and is, I believe it's an attempt to stop the project."
Representative Tom Rukavina of Virginia agrees and says the PolyMet project is important to the entire state's economy.
"We have a medical device industry in Minnesota that uses all kinds of copper and nickel and minerals that we could mine up in Northeastern Minnesota, and yet they don't understand that those metals have to come some where."
Environmental advocates are concerned acid run off from the mine could contaminate streams and rivers, damaging wildlife and the environment.
Iron Range lawmakers say current environmental standards are strong enough to prevent that from happening.
"This mine as it moves forward will be the most environmentally sound copper nickel mine I think in the world."
The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy is hopeful the bill will be heard by the legislature the first week of March.
